Svart — An Energy Positive Lakeside Hotel in the Arctic Circle by Snøhetta

Snøhetta recently unveiled the design for “Svart,” an upcoming hotel in the Arctic Circle at the base of the Svartisen glacier. The building is being designed to the “Powerhouse” building standard — which requires the building to be energy-positive and “generate more renewable energy over a 60-year period than the total amount of energy that would be required to both sustain daily operations and to build, produce materials, and demolish the building,” noted ArchDaily.

The ring shape of the building is inspired by traditional Norweigian fishing structures — the “fiskehjell,” a wooden structure used for drying fish, and the “rorbue,” a seasonal house used by fishermen. Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta, said: "Building in such a precious environment comes with some clear obligations in terms of preserving the natural beauty and the fauna and flora of the site. It was important for us to design a sustainable building that will leave a minimal environmental footprint on this beautiful Northern nature. Building an energy positive and low-impact hotel is an essential factor to create a sustainable tourist destination respecting the unique features of the plot."